Aiden

Some studios deal in epic moments. They’re alchemists of fire and smoke, bullets and bombs, swords and magic. They paint in broad brushstrokes and turn pixels and gameplay into power fantasies where players beat long odds, save the world and get the girl.

Then there’s David Cage, who does none of that. His games are the opposite. The head of Quantic Dream works on projects that deal with milestones in his life and because of this they’re intensely personal. For example, he said Heavy Rain was about his experiences being a father and that comes through in the anxiety, affection and extremes Ethan Mars goes to save his son.

With his latest title, Beyond: Two Souls, Cage focuses on another personal issue. At a recent preview event, he talked about the origin of the game. “It’s an idea I had a long time ago when I was developing Omikron,” Cage said. The concept was something he had been mulling over for a while when tragedy struck.

“Something happened in my personal life,” he said. “I lost someone close to me. It was a shocking experience.” And that’s what spawned Beyond. “It’s about death and what’s on the other side.”